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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23516797">Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycupoffanfiction/pseuds/mycupoffanfiction'>mycupoffanfiction</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Prequel, Romantic Soulmates, non lethal violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:42:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23516797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycupoffanfiction/pseuds/mycupoffanfiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter is the Reader’s protector and he silently watches over and protects her, until one night he finds that he has to make an appearance when his girl is attacked.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bucky/reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, The Winter Soldier/Reader, Winter Soldier x Reader, bucky marvel, bucky x reader - Relationship, the winter soldier x reader, winter soldier/reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>125</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Can be read as a prequel to my fic Hearth.<br/>Warnings: non lethal violence, protective Winter Soldier, slight angst, hints of soulmate AU, fluff.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Quick paced, calculated steps thudded against the concrete paving. A gloved hand trailed across the glass of the closed cafe. The lights were off, the street was dark and he looked down at his watch. He was late, far too late for his liking, all because he had allowed himself to become consumed by his thoughts. The newly found freedom was difficult to process, the freedom to think for himself, to give in to thoughts of others, to you was overwhelming. But he loved it.</p><p>A low rumble of thunder rolled through the dark clouds above, gaps between the dreary overcast sky allowed the moon to cast a dim light over the city streets as drizzle came down in short, quick showers, the patter of the gentle drops on his leather jacket being the only sound that indicated he was even present as he rushed down the street, following your usual path home.</p><p>Your regular way home was blocked by building work and you were forced to cut through the park. While you would have been comfortable going through the park earlier in the day, this time of night was not particularly safe in this part of town and certainly not in the ill lit, overgrown pathways of the park. </p><p>The sound of a struggle, a muffled shriek as you tried to pull away from the attacker. He pulled at you, hands holding your arms in a bruising grip as he tugged at you, his strength too much for you to counter and you stumbled towards him.</p><p>His scent was not at all the scent you wished it was, the dark figure looming above you held no kindness, the overpowering stench of cheap body spray invaded your senses and you shoved uselessly at his chest, trying desperately to get away. Your fingers raked over his jacket lapels, catching on a pin tucked between the folds of fabric and your eyes widened and you set your panicked gaze on the red Hydra symbol he bore on his chest.</p><p>He had been hidden in plain sight, you saw that now. He’d been at the cafe you worked at earlier that day and he followed you. You knew why you were a target, but you hadn’t seen nor heard even a glimpse of the soldier you presumed the agent was looking for in months.</p><p>You froze when he seized in front of you, grip tightening a little as you noticed gloved fingers gripping his throat from behind, squeezing tight, as tight as he could without crushing the airways. “Let go of her.” A low gruff voice interrupted the panicked, suffocating silence. The hand around his neck tightened and fear crossed your attacker’s eyes, grip loosening enough for you to pull away from him and stumble back.</p><p>He was thrown to the ground, the dark figure that had stood over him revealed now in the dim hues of the park. The cold light of the moon highlighted in a dusky silver, a man nearly a full head taller than most, dressed in a leather jacket, a black henley shirt, jeans and heavy boots.</p><p>He brought his fist down against your assailant’s stomach, winding him and making him gasp for air, his unkempt, tousled dark hair being the only indicator of the force he used, his actions seemingly effortless. You stumbled back, watching as the Hydra agent who had attacked you desperately attempted to fight back. You leaned into the rough wood of the tree behind you, fingers raking over the jagged surface, searching for something to ground yourself with.</p><p>Ragged breaths left your parted lips, panic rising in your chest, tightening and squeezing you as you watched your attacker flail under the sheer force used against him and you drew in a measured breath, lips parted as you closed your eyes to try and collect yourself.</p><p>“Winter.” It came out as a choked whisper, but he heard you over the deafening crunch, over the heated anger that consumed his mind and he paused his next punch, glancing over at you, watching as you sunk down to your knees, desperate for air, for something to bring your panic down and his eyes softened.</p><p>“Moya Ptichka.” He rasped, letting go of the man he’d beaten bloody, allowing his body to thump against the concrete as he abandoned him. He made silent steps over to you, the cold night air biting at his heated skin as he approached silently. Dropping to his knees, he reached for you, arms open and you fell against his chest.</p><p>Home. The scent of leather, the warmth of his natural musk and the metallic scent of gunpowder clung to your senses and you breathed it in deep, panic sinking away, its grasp loosening as it sunk low into the ground, leaving only the sensitive, raw emotions that lay beneath the surface.</p><p>Winter closed his arms around your delicate frame, holding you close. Your fingers slipped under his jacket, clinging to his shirt as you warmed against him. Winter held you, the coolness of your chilled skin against him made him tighten his grip on you, though it was a comforting tightness, the kind that told you that you were safe and the hold your panic had on your chest finally let go, allowing you to sink further into Winter’s embrace.</p><p>“You came back.” Your soft voice was slightly muffled against his chest as he cradled you, curling over you protectively. He grunted in response at first, pausing to mull over his next words. “I never left.” He admitted, his tone was flat, the gruff edges of his tone making him sound resentful, perhaps towards himself but his voice held a certain softness, a tenderness he reserved only for you.</p><p>He might have been Death’s soldier in another lifetime, but now he was your protector, your sanctuary. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner?” You whispered so softly, so quietly, but he heard you. You were met with brooding silence, his head hung low as the thoughts passed through his mind, dwelling on what had kept him from you earlier that evening, on what had made him late. Winter didn’t know how to say it, how to put something so unfamiliar into words. “It doesn’t matter now.” He grunted rising from the park lawn with you in his arms until you were both standing again.</p><p>“Is he dead?” You asked softly, peering around Winter’s arm, but he gently lifted your chin so your eyes were on him instead of the body behind him. “No.” He grunted. “Don’t look, moya ptichka.” Winter spoke, barely above a whisper. “I’ll take care of it.” He assured you, squeezing your middle a little before letting go and turning away to deal with the mess of the fight.</p><p>Months ago he’d left you alone, the overshadowing guilt that his presence in your life had brought danger to you and so he backed off and watched, following, only to keep you safe, it was a contrast to what he had been taught. Winter followed each man that came after you, one after the other was neutralised the only way he knew how and every time he was increasingly disappointed to know they were Hydra agents, tracking you, following you because of him. But he couldn’t kill this agent, not with you present, he couldn’t do it knowing you’d know he would kill for you.</p><p>He didn’t want to be like that anymore, didn’t want to be that machine. He didn’t want to be cold, harsh and unforgiving. Winter wanted to be more like you, he wanted to seek comfort, find beauty in the world, find the beauty in life rather than the death he had served. He wanted to find the warmth in life and the comfort in a companion.</p><p>Winter knew he would find all of that in you.</p><p>He knew the feeling in his chest, he knew he had feelings for you, perhaps he wasn’t quite ready to admit that it was love, but he knew deep down that it was. Months ago he was sure he couldn’t trust himself with you, but now as you clung to him, afraid he’d slip away from you again, Winter knew he had to trust himself with your care now, the look in your eyes, the emotions sitting just below the brim told him that you feared him leaving again and he realised he’d been wrong.</p><p>Perhaps it was selfish to want him to stay, perhaps it was selfish for him to want you despite the risks, but the pull between you, the unbreakable bond that bound your souls so tightly together was enough to tell him and you both that you were stronger together, that you needed each other. He could protect you better if he was at your side and not at a silent distance, allowing the chill and the pain of not knowing what had happened to him after he disappeared to consume you was a mistake.</p><p>He walked with you tucked into his side, your figure less frail this time, a warmth filling you again as you held on tightly to Winter, the low rumble of thunder interrupted the calm silence that hung over you. The drizzle came down again, heavier rain following as you left with him, his flesh arm holding you protectively around the shoulders.</p><p>“Will you stay with me?” You asked softly, looking up at Winter and he glanced down at you. While he appeared blank and expressionless, you could see the softness in his eyes, the way the hues of blue seemed lighter when he met your gaze, the way his brows softened and the harsh lines and expressions he wore seemed to soothe when he looked at you. You swore, maybe just for a second that you saw the corners of his lips quirk up into the tiniest shadow of a smile.</p><p>He could leave again, but Winter knew it would do no good to either of you. It would cause more harm than good. He wanted to try it out, Winter wanted to try being what he always thought was out of his reach, what he always assumed he was incapable of being.</p><p>“Da moya ptichka. I will stay.”</p>
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